[gatagato]

AUGUST 24, 2011

SYDNEY—The close-knit Samoan community in Australia's third city of Brisbane was mourning 11 dead, including eight children, from the country's worst building fire in a decade, after flames ripped through a suburban house Wednesday while two families slept inside.

Those killed were between the ages of 3 and 47, Queensland Police said. One man who was outside the building at the time of the fire survived, while two other men escaped as the blaze consumed the home, a spokeswoman said. The cause of the fire was not yet known.

"Everyone is in shock, there's no words to comfort them at this time," said Ranandy Stanley, a Samoan community worker in Logan, the suburb on the southern outskirts of the city affected by the blaze. "At this stage it's just devastating."

Community members gathered for an impromptu meeting outside the smoldering building Wednesday as emergency workers searched for the bodies of the dead, said John Pale, president of the local Voice of Samoa community group.

"When they were bringing out the first two bodies, it was difficult, but in spite of all that suffering, people were still there singing praises of God and asking God for help," he said.

A memorial service was scheduled Wednesday night at the Logan Central Multicultural Uniting Church, Ms. Stanley said.

Queensland's fire and rescue service said that 30 firefighters worked to put out the blaze after a series of emergency calls came in shortly after midnight. The second floor of the house collapsed during the fire, and fire crews had to reinforce the building to make it safe for police forensics crews to enter.

Logan Mayor Pam Parker said that the victims' identities could take days to confirm due to difficulties getting into the building and carrying out DNA tests.

"One man is in the hospital, one man has shoulder injuries, and one has lost his wife and children," she said, adding that eight children inside the house were under the age of 18, with the youngest just 3. "This is absolutely heartbreaking to see, and all of our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims, family and friends, and the wider communities."

Australia's Queensland Premier Anna Bligh hugs the sister of a
house-fire victim at the site where 11 people were killed following
an early morning house fire in Brisbane, Australia, on Wednesday.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...031043646.html

A father lost his wife and five children

Jeremiah Lale (rear) lost his wife and five children in the blaze Photo: EPA

Father loses wife and five children as 11 die in 'catastrophic' house fire
Exploding gas bottles caused inferno
Fire survivors face extraordinary grief

[Faline]

[fattubbashit]

Its funny how i can poke shit at death on this site, but cant do it when its close to home........... RIP people.

[kellyhound]

Damn, firefighters said the fire started underneath the house.

[Wolf]

R.I.P.

[Nite]

sad

[hal0mega]

i live 800ish meters from there

[collaredgirl65]

[MrCorpse]

I heard they were trying to roast a pig under the floorboards in true Polynesian tradition... Those crazy Samoans, what'll they think of next?

[MrCorpse]

Originally Posted by fattubbashit ↗

Its funny how i can poke shit at death on this site, but cant do it when its close to home........... RIP people.

That's stupid